Every year, thousands of Wisconsin teenagers enter the adult criminal justice system before their 18th birthday. This isn’t because of what they did, but because Wisconsin law places 17-year-olds in adult criminal court. Under Wisconsin law, a 17-year-old charged with any offense, from shoplifting to disorderly conduct to drug possession, is automatically prosecuted as an…

What is rescheduling?  Understanding the basics: The federal government regulates drugs by placing them into five schedules under the Controlled Substances Act. These schedules reflect three primary factors: accepted medical use, potential for abuse, and safety under medical supervision. Congress established this system in 1970, and it continues to shape criminal enforcement, research access, and…

For the past few years, hemp-derived delta-9 products have existed in a legal gray area that many consumers interpreted as a green light.  Business owners signed leases, shops opened, and Wisconsinites started regularly buying hemp-derived cannabinoids.  Delta-8 gummies, THCA flower, delta-9 edibles, and countless other psychoactive hemp-derived products have popped up at gas stations, vape…

Wisconsin’s new vape law has significantly impacted users – why did this happen, and what’s legal? Many nicotine vape users were surprised when they showed up to their local smoke shops on or after September 1, 2025.  On that date, a new law went into effect that applied new limitations to sellers of nicotine vapes. …

Fentanyl’s growing impact in Wisconsin Between 2000 and 2023, opioid-related deaths in Wisconsin increased twelvefold.  In 2022, the state reported a record 1,459 opioid overdose deaths, with synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) accounting for 73% of all drug overdose fatalities.  The number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Wisconsin grew by 97% from 2019 (651) to 2021…

How did drug laws change in Wisconsin in 2025?  Our criminal defense attorneys explain. Wisconsin has quickly fallen behind the pack when it comes to marijuana legalization.  The recreational use of cannabis is legal in 24 states, three territories, and Washington D.C.  It’s legal for medical purposes in 40 states.  Wisconsin, unfortunately, is not one…

The difference between misdemeanor and felony bail jumping Whether a bail jumping charge is a misdemeanor or a felony seems to stump a lot of people.  Let’s clarify it; Defendant is arrested for a misdemeanor.  He appears in court and his bail (along with conditions) is set.  One of those conditions requires that the defendant…

Wondering whether CBD is legal in Wisconsin in 2025? Is CBD legal in Wisconsin in 2025?  Marijuana is a psychoactive drug derived from the dried leaves, stems, and flowers of the cannabis plant.  CBD, or cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid found within the same plant.  CBD isn’t intoxicating.  Marijuana and THC are. Marijuana is illegal to…

Many of Wisconsin’s sexual assault laws apply in date rape situations. Date rape is a pretty simple concept: it is rape committed by someone with whom the victim has gone on a date.  These situations arise in a number of ways, and the purpose of this article is to describe the various criminal charges that…

Criminal defense attorney Ben Van Severen explains the Alien Enemies Act of 1798: The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of four laws passed by the United States Congress in 1798 during the presidency of John Adams.  The laws were enacted amid heightened tensions between the United States and France (specifically the Quasi-War, an…